How To Find A Great Outsourced Software Development Team

As someone who is non-technical it can be frustrating to have an idea that you can’t turn into a reality. I have written quite extensively about my journey to build Task Pigeon as a non-technical founder, but one of the things that has really made the journey that much easier is the development team I was able to bring onboard.

When I was looking for a software development team to build Task Pigeon I did as much as I could to make sure I made the right decision. I sought help from people I knew in the local startup ecosystem, put potential applicants through an online test and interviewed about 15 or 20 teams over skype.

After going through this process I know how hard it can be to find the right team. That’s why I wanted to put together this blog post. I got lucky, I found a fantastic software development agency called Mapwork and wanted to share a little bit of how I found them and why I would recommend them to other startup founders looking to get their startup off the ground.

Originally when seeking a software development team one piece of advice I heard time and time again was that teams out of Eastern Europe and form Soviet Bloc states where well trained and technically proficient.

This contrasts to some other regions around the world where you can find a large number of developers but can often find they overpromise and underdeliver on their capabilities.

With that advice in mind I did focus my efforts on Eastern Europe and used websites such as Upwork and Freelancer to locate potential teams before, settling on Mapwork. Despite testing more than 40 other developers/agencies and interviewing 15 – 20 more it was an easy choice to make in the end. There was just something about the way the team took the time to respond to my questions and consider my proposal.

Top Tips For Finding An Outsourced Development Team:

In summary my top tips for finding a great outsourced development team are:

Find people in your local ecosystem who can advise you on the technologies to use and any areas of complexity that may be present in your idea/concept.

Utilise a variety of tools or platforms to find potential development teams. I used both Upwork and Freelancer. I have previously used AngelList as well.
Once you start receiving applications weed out the people who don’t have the skills/expertise you need with online tests. I used an application called Devskiller to test potential candidates.

When you have a short list then interview them all on Skype and make sure you are confident in their ability to deliver on the application and capacity to work well with you.

Don’t be afraid to give one or two teams a test project so that you can review your skills. If possible have someone you know and trust also take a look at their code and review it for you.

Take the time to make the right decision. You are better off spending an extra week or two finding the right team than just rushing in with whoever looks good on the surface.

What Ultimately Sold Me On The Team At Mapwork:

Mapwork are based in Armenia which has a fast growing tech ecosystem with companies such as Microsoft establishing offices and co-working spaces in the region.

My initial contact at Mapwork was Lisa who speaks English as if it is her first language. This was a massive bonus as it made communication with Mapwork and the rest of the team very easy. Shortly after I was introduced to the rest of the team Sat and Hus, both exceptional developers in their own right and people who have put a tremendous amount of effort into building Task Pigeon.

At the time of hiring Mapwork I was going to initially transition away from my old developer who was leaving due to other commitments. This was meant to be a phased withdrawal but ultimately he had to end work on Task Pigeon much more abruptly. I was concerned at the time cause here I was as a non-technical founder with a product that still needed work.

I shouldn’t have worried though because the team at Mapwork picked up on the development of Task Pigeon as if they had been working on it all along. Within about a day or day and a half I knew I had made the right decision, and select the right team.

I have continued to work with Mapwork ever since. What this really highlights to me is that once you find the right team you have to stick with them.

If you would like to learn more about visit their website to contact them. Also feel free to reach out to me directly. I am happy to introduce you to the team as well.

Paul Towers is a 3 x Entrepreneur and current Founder & CEO of Task Pigeon, a simple solution to create, assign and manage the tasks you and your team work on each day. Paul also supports the startup community via his daily newsletter, Startup Soda and early stage startup advice via Startup Engine. You can learn more about Paul Towers on his personal website.